Tampon-applicator.



C. GAMACHE, 5R. & W. S. MCNEAR.

TAMPON APPLICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.21.19|6.

'LQQMWBO Patented May 1, 1917:

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1A C. GAMACHE, JR. & W. S. MCNEAR.

TAMPON APPLICATOR.

APPLlcATloN FILED 0m21.191s.

Lg@ www@ May 1, my.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o fin, y C( mummmumw wrm www@ WM CLOVIS GAMACHE, JR., OF NASHUA, NEWHAMPSHIRE, .AND WALTER S. MGNEAR, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO NUR-PON COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSA-TAMPONTAPPIICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May il, 1917.

Application filed October 21, 1916. Serial N 0. 126,924.

To ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, CLOVIS GAMACHE, J r., and WALTER S. MGNEAR,citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Nashua,in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, and of Boston,Ain the countyl of Suffolk and` State ofMassachuset-ts, are the jointinventors of a new and useful Improvement in Tampon-Applicators, ofwhich the 'following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide an applicator for medicatedtampons, such as are used in the treatment o f diseases peculiar towomen, which furnishes a simple, sanitary, scientific, and effectivemeans for a patient to use in the privacy of the home, and thus providesa long-felt want in the medical field of gynecology.

It is a known fact that the tampon treatment is to-day recognized the(world over by the medical profession for treatment of womens diseases,such as inflammation of the vagina, uterus, ovaries, or Fallopian tubes,etc., chronic endometritis, subinvolution, leucorrhea, etc., and in suchcases the tampons are most efficient if applied to the affected partsbefore retiring and left there over night while the patient isresting,-the applicatorclaimed herein being specially applicable forhome use; thus affording the patient a ready, simple and inexpensive Ymeans for personally and privately carrying out the tampon treatmentwithout being forced to submit to physicians for the purpose, as isotherwise the case and which is both humiliating and expensive for thepatient, as well as unsatisfactory, since the good vtherefrom is soonlost on account of the exercise which is brought lon by the trip homefrom the physicians office, instead of resting immediately after theapplication of the tampon to the 'affected parts, as is afforded by theprivate use of the applicator in the home ofthe patient.

To these as well `as other ends, our invention consists of the novelfeatures of c0nstruction,-combination and arrangement of parts describedin the following` specification and particularly pointed out in thesubjoined claims.

Referring to the accompanying two sheets of drawings Figure l representsan elevational view of the curved type of applicator, showing amedicated tampon set therewith and housed therein, ready for theinsertion into the vagina or rectum.

' Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view taken through Fig. l,showing a tampon set in the housed position therewithy and ready to bereleased therefrom when inserted into the Vagina or rectum.

Fig, 3 represents a sectional View taken on line 3 8 in Fig. 2, looking"in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 represents the same view as Fig. 2 but shows the tampon releasedfrom the temporary housing furnished it by the coacting members of theapplicator as would be the case when the tampon had reached and locatedthe proper spot in the vagina or rectum, and shows the tampon suppliedwith a narrow tape instead of the cord indicated in Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 represents a view taken on line 5 5 in Fig. 4 looking in thedirection of the arrows, showing the tampon end of the tampon-holder ofthe applicator.

Fig. 6 represents a sectional yiew taken on line 6-6 Fig. 4, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 represents a` part bottom v1ew of the inserting end of theapplicator, showing the -tampon cord or tape-slots of the coactingmembers of the applicator.

Fig. 8 represents a sectional View showing the method of engaging thetampon into working.' position wit the applicator, said view showing theapplicator turned around with the tampon cord or tape-receiving-slotspositioned at the top, open to View and handy to the user.

Fig. 9 represents the same view as Fig. 1 but shows a modified type ofapplicator, in: that the same is made straight instead ofV curved.

Fig. 10 represents a part elevation and sectional view of amodified endfor the tampon holder member of the applicator, showing the samesupplied with a blank end provided with a temporary locking slot forlocking the cord, ribbon, or tape of the tampon into holding positionwith the tampon-holding-member of the applicator.

Fig. 11 represents an end view of Fig. 10,

, showing the blank end and the temporary locking slot therein for thetampon cord or tape.

Fig. 12 represents a modified form of applicator, showing the co-actingmembers thereof arranged in reverse order, in that the slots thereof arepositioned at the top V tion of the arrows, showing the tampontape-holding means within the tamponholder for preventing the tape fromprojecting, out of the holder on account of the curvature thereof. n

Fig. 14 represents a diagrammatic plan View showing the applicator heldin the right handof the patient and ready for the insertion into thevagina, the dotted line representing the position of the thumb ofthehand shifted to the tampon releasing position in which position -theguide and housing member of the applicator has been drawn back and thetampon becomes released froin the housing provided therefor, as shown inFig. 4.

Fig. 15 represents a modified sectional view similar to Figs. 3 and 5,but shows the co-acting members elliptical, to a suitable degree, incross-section, for preventing any tendency of turning of the co-actingmembers of the applicator, as might otherwise be occasioned by the useof a perfect circular section, especially in the case of a straight typeof applicator, as is shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 16 represents a longitudinal section taken through a modified typeof tamponholder, in that the same is made solid instead of hollow, andis preferably supplied 'with a longitudinal slot of sufficient depth toaccommodate the tape, cord or ribbon ofl the tampon, if desired.

Fig. 17 represents a sectional view taken on lines 17-17,Fig.'16,'looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawings.

The numeral 20 represents the. guide and housing member of the curvedtype of applicator which `maybe made of any suitable material(preferably of hard rubber), and is provided with the sleeved end 21which has the longitudinal slot 22 and the curved topshank-end'23 whichis preferablyprovided with the loop 24`into which is fitted the thumb T,as shown -in Fig. 14. 25 represents a tampon-holder for the curved typeof applicator, which may also be made of any suitable material(preferably of hard rubber) and is provided with theguide-member-bearing-end 26 which has the blank end 27, and which endserves as a hacker for the medicated tampon 28, when the same is. housedin the applicator, as is shown in Fig. 2. The holder 25 may be made witha hollow section 29 which is open to the rbottom A30 by. a narrowlongitudinal slot 31 which projects up into the blank backer end 27slightly beyond the middle thereof, as is shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5,for permitting the insertion of the tampon cord 32, which is attached tothe tampon 28 within the hollow section 29 thereof, so that the samewill be housed within the holder, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 4. 33represents a ribbon or tape which is used with the tampon instead of.the cord 32. vThe free end 34 of the tam- .n

pon-holder is preferably provided with a temporary locking-slot 35 atthe side thereof, into which is'pinched the tampon cord 32 or ribbon'33,as is shown in Fig. 1 for temporarily holding the tampon when the sameis backed up against the backer end 27 of the tampon holding member 25and is positioned within the inside housing 36 of the guide member 2O ofthe applicator. The

tampon-holder 25 is preferably provided with abrasions, projections, orthe like, 3'? at the bottom thereof, asv shown in Fig. 6 for serving asfinger grooves or recesses for enabling the tampon-holder to be held bythe hand of the user in a stationary position, as is indicated in Fig.14, when the applicator is ready to be inserted into the vagina forapplying and locating the tampon therein.

Fig. 9 shows a modified straight type of applicator, in which 38 is theguide member which is constructed exactly the same as the guide member20 shown in Fig. 1, but is provided with a4 straight type,` of shank39minstead of the curved shank 23; the tampon-holder 40 being alsoconstructed in eX-A which case the blank endv 41 may be designed withthe temporary tampon cord `or tapelocking-slot 42, instead ofthe'side'slot 35, shown in Figs. 1 and 9 if desired.

Fig. 12 shows a modified type Iof tampon applicator whichis constructed`practically similar to the other types hereinabove suggested, with theexception that "the shank 43 is positioned at ,the bottom instead of atthe top of the guide member 44 there shown, and the cord slots 45 and 46of the guide member 44,v and the tampon-holder 47, respectively, arepositioned at the topsthereof instead of at the bottom, as is suggestedin 43 serves to accommodate any of the other lingers ofthe hand-thethumb in that case being intended to retain the tampon-holder in thestationary position while the other fingers of the hand serve to actupon the guide member 44 for the purpose of drawing the same back uponthe tampon-holder 47 for releasing the tampon 28 after the same has beenlocated by the -applicator in the body of the user. Because of the slot46 being positioned in the top of the curved tampon-holder 47 shown inFig. 12, it is necessary to provide a retaining means, as is suggestedby the pin or retaining member 50 in Fig. 13, which, as is indicated bythe dotted circles 51 representing the section of the cord of thetampon, permits the cord to enter within the hollow 52 of thetamponholder 47 so that the same may gain a purchase with the member 50,as is indicated Jby the section of the cord 53 for retaining the holder,

the same within the tampon-holder; thus overcoming the possibility ofthe cord worklng out of the inclosure of the tamponholder, as mightotherwise be the case, on account of the curvature thereof.

In Flg. 14, Ta; represents the position of the thumb swung to thetampon-releasing ppsitipn of the applicator, corresponding to In Figs.16 and 17, 54 represents a solid type of tampon-holding-member, which isprovided with the longitudinal slot 55 for housing the tampon cord andthe temporary and locking slot 56 for temporarily holding thetampon cordin secured position with which solid type of tamponholder may beemployed instead of the hollow type indicated in any of the other vie-wsof the drawings.

It may be here noted that in the case of curved types of applicators,that the same may be rdesigned with y concentric curves throughout theirlengths and without the straight tampon portion shown in Fig. 1.

Having thus described our invention in detail, the manner in which thesame may be used and operated, is asfollows:`

The applicator is first supplied with the medicated tampon, which may beset therewith in the following manner: The applicator is turned to theuser with the cord-` insertingslots 22 and 31 of the co-acting members20 and 25, respectively, positioned uppermost and in view of the user.The applicator may be held in oney hand (say the left hand) with thetampon cord slots uppermost; the medicated tampon, which, as is known,is saturated with a wet and greasy substance, but has the dry cord 32 ortape 33 attached thereto, may be picked up with the other hand by thedry cord, so that the tampon itself, which hangs suspended by the cord,need notbe touched by the hand of the user. The user then guides thetampon cord with the tampon at the housing end of the applicator throughthe tampon-cord-slots of the co-acting members of the applicator, as isshown in Fig. 8, until the cord is housed within.the tamponholder, when,by pulling on the free end of the cord, the tampon may be forced intothe housing provided therefor between the co-acting members of theapplicator and allowed to back up against the backing end 27 of thetampon-holding-member, after which the extreme and free end of the cordmay be temporarily pinched into the slot 35 or 42, as the case may be,.provided for the purpose. The tampon-holder thus hav' ing disengaginglysecured thereto the tampon 28, the same is preferably positioned, as isshown in Fig. 2, so that a small portion of the tampon may still projectbeyond the housing furnished by the co-'acting members of theapplicator; then the applicator is set with the tampon, ready for theinsertion to be made into the vagina or rectum.

Now, to insert the applicator thus provided with the tampon into thevagina, the co-acting parts of the applicator are rst set into theposition indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,V so that they house the tampon andpreferably permit a part of it to project therefrom for lubricatingpurposes. The patient, who is preferably lying flat on her back, takeshold of the applicator just as it is set and holds itin such position inthe hand as is shown in Fig. 14, where it will be observed that thethumbT is brought well up forward and toward the little finger of the hand.With the applicator 4thus heldin the hand and with a slight grip betweenthe thumb and the other fingers of the hand, the co-acting parts of theapplicator may be pushed forward together, with the two acting as aunit, into the. vagina, the projecting tampon leading and 'lubricatingthe Way into the Same; and may be thus inserted therein as' far as maybe necessary for locating the tampon in contact posit-ion with /the partor membrane to be treated. When the tampon is thus brought into Contactwith such part or membrane, the patient then releases `the grip betweenthe -fingers and the thumb and swings the thumb over to the positionindicated by Ta., Fig. 1.4,v

and thus carries back with it the guide meluber 20 which immediatelyreleases the tampon, as shown in Fig. 4,-it being here observed thattheA tampon-holder has remained stationary while thefguide member wasbeing moved tojthe releasing position. Vith the tampon released from thehousing of the applicator, the cord, ribbon or tape attached thereto maythen be freed from the temporary locking slot 35 of the tamponholder,and is thus entirely freed therefrom, after which the applicator may bewithdrawn from the vagina; thus leaving behind it the tampon positionedto treat the rre-.

quired part or membrane within the vagina, with the cord of the tamponprojecting therethrough.

It may be, here observed that when holding the applicator as has beenexplained hereinabove and as is shown in Fig. 14, that with the thumbset in the foremost position, indicated by T it is almost impossible tomove the guide member 20 farther forward, that the tampon-holder caneither work forward or backward bythe independent action of the fingersengaging therewith, the fingers in that position being unable to swingindependently unless the whole hand vmoves with them which wouldnaturally carry the thumb and thus produce no change of the set relationbetween the co-acting-parts of the applicator, but that the thumb, onthe contrary, which carries the guide member is absolutely free to swingback to the Ta position which slidably moves the guide member back alongthe tampon-holder and frees the tampon completely; thus assuring theapplicator of a feature which makes the same absolutely reliable in thatthe same will, after the tampon has once been positioned into the properpart of the vagina, hold and leave it set in that position, and will notin any way disturb it or cause it to move away therefrom, since thetampon may, by the design of the applicator, be ushered into positionand released at that point and freed from the applicator so that theapplicator itself may be entirely withdrawn while .the tampon willremain in the vagina and will not be disturbed from its locatedposition.

It may be -observed that the device is sanitary and simple inconstruction, and is easy to manipulate and handle; that the same isabsolutely fool-proof and furnishes a. sanitary device which permits ofthe ready association of the medicated tampon therewith, Withoutrequiring. the need for the user to touch or handle any part of themedicated and saturated tampon when setting the same in the applicator,and thus introduces a very satisfactory and sanitary feature, inasmuchas the same permits of the handling of the tampon in the most sanitarymanner and relieves the medicated part thereof entirely from the need ofbeing subjected to touching and handling bgthe patient before being`applied to the a cted parts. l

It may be understood that the4 applicator may be made up of any desireddimensions to suit conditions and of any desired material suitable forthe purpose, hard rubber being the most preferable, however, that thesame affords a patient a ready and simple means for carrying out thetampon treatment, prescribed by the physicians, in the privacy of thehome, and thus relieves the patient of the trouble, humiliation'and eX-pense attached to the same when submitting to the physician for suchtreatment, and also carries with it the additional benefit of affordingthe patient a means for applying the tampon at such times as will resultin the most good therefrom.

While the preferred embodiments of our invention lhave been described indetail, it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited to theparticular construction set forth, since various changes in the formmaterial, proportion and arrangement of parts, and in the details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained inthe same, heretofore described and defined in the subjoined claims.

What we claim is 1. An applicator for medicated tampons, provided withcords or tapes consisting of a slotted guide member adapted toreleasingly house the tampon therein; and a slotted coactingtampon-holder. adapted to disengagingly engage the tampon therewith bythe insertion of the cord or tape within the slot provided therein forthe purpose.

2. An applicator for medicated tampons provided with cords or tapes,consisting of a slotted movable sleeve member provided with a holdingand operating shank; and a tampon-holding member provided with a slottedsection for receiving and housing the tampon cord or tape, and adaptedto support said movable sleeve member thereupon and to form a housingtherewith for the tampon held thereby.

3. An applicator for medicated tampons provided with cords or tapes,consisting of a slotted tubular sleeve member provlded with a shankmember; and a tampon-holding-member provided with a vbearing end- -forsaid sleeve member and a longitudinal slot adapted to coincide with theslot of said tubular sleeve member for receiving the cord or tape of thetampon.

4. An applicator for medicated tampons, having projecting cords or tapesattached thereto consisting of an outer and slotted tubular memberhaving an extension shank provided with a retalning finger section; anda tampon-holder' adapted to slidably support said outer and slottedtubular meinber and provided with a grooved recess longitudinallypositioned therein and coinciding with theslot of said outer and slottedtubular member for receiving the tampon cord and freely housing the sametherein,

and retaining means for the fingers of the hand holding the same.

5. An applicator for medicated tampons, having projecting cords or tapesattached 5 thereto for handling purposes, consisting of an outer splitsleeve member provided with a shank-piece having a hand engaging recessthereon; and a co-acting tamponholder adapted to lslidably support said10 outer split sleeve member thereon on the tampon end thereof, andvprovided With a tampon cord or tape recess adjacent to the split ofsaid outer member and extending clear across .the same longitudinally,and temporary locking means at the free end of said tamponvholder fortemporarily engaging with and locking the cord or tape of the tamponWith said tampon-holder in Working position therewith.

CLOVIS GAMACHE, JR.

WALTER S. MCNEAR.

Witnesses:

B. H. CHERTOK, R. LICHTENSTEIN.

